Humans of Tango

By Liz Sabatiuk

Bimonthly-ish podcast exploring what tango has to teach through the experiences of those who dance it.... more

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FAQs about Humans of Tango:

How many episodes does Humans of Tango have?

The podcast currently has 28 episodes available.

Humans of Tango episodes:

October 27, 2025Roles and evolution - body and mind, with Brigitta Winkler
“I change because I can.”
German tango pioneer Brigitta Winkler shares what she's most passionate about 40 years into her tango journey and why she believes in tango's ability to unite.
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Margo,” by Armando Pontier with lyrics by Homero Expósito | Image Credit: Unknown
SHOW NOTES
Visit Brigitta's website or watch her dance with Rebecca Shulman, Tomás Howlin, and Astrid Weiske.
Two tango humans previously featured on this podcast consider Brigitta a mentor: Aja Fenn and Mitra Martin.
Read an interview with Brigitta that includes the iconic black and white photo described in the episode.
Watch a video of Brigitta's and Angelika's teachers, Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau.
Learn more about Eric Jorisson via interviews for Joe's Tango Podcast and DonAgucho.
Watch clips from Tango Mujer performances featuring Brigitta.
Learn more about movement systems Brigitta has studied: Body-Mind Centering; Release, Alexander, Feldenkrais, and Klein techniques; contact improvisation; Authentic Movement; Axis Syllabus; the Franklin Method; and Fighting Monkey.
Read the lyrics of "Margo" in English thanks to the Tango Poetry Project.
Visit the Queer Tango Project website and read Birthe Havmoeller's "10 Dogme Rules For The Dance Style of 'Queer Tango.'"
Listen to Brigitta's interview for Joe's Tango Podcast.
Read a transcript of Brigitta's episode here.
...more
34min
September 01, 2025Somatic tango wisdom for everyday life, with Simona Ciampi
Almost 4 years after making the case for why we should all be dancing tango, Simona Ciampi is back to share her experiences with healing through art and how she's using skills learned through tango to improve her daily life.
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: "El Carillon de la Merced" by Enrique S. Discepolo, performed by Carlos Molina y Su Orquesta | Image Credit: Alejandra Rúa Álvarez
Show Notes
Listen to the original episode, "Why we should all be dancing tango, with Simona Ciampi," and follow Simona on Instagram.
Learn more about Simona’s somatic coach, Chen Lizra.
View the painting Simona created inspired by her family history.
Watch examples of the Italian folk dances Simona mentions: Tarantella, Tammurriata, and Pizzica.
Read a transcript of Simona's episode here.
...more
25min
May 28, 2025Love takes practice, with Mitra Martin
"...through, just, love and committing to your own journey within a culture and within a craft and within a practice, you can embody whatever you want to. And there's nobody to tell you that it's not authentic or real or enough."
Co-founder of Oxygen Tango School and Awaken Tango Mitra Martin talks about her Persian heritage and the value of research, innovation, acceptance, and attention in tango.
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Zorzal”, arranged and recorded by Orquesta Típica Misteriosa Buenos Aires with music and lyrics by Dorita Zárate | Image Credit: Glenn Campbell
Show Notes
Learn more about Mitra's perspectives and work on her website. (Bonus points if you learn more about “The Romance of the Rose” and gardens in Persian poetry or even read Mitra's thesis!)
Read some background about Iran’s history and government, then read Mitra’s reflections on Iran's 2022 protests.
TriANGulO changed locations but is still going strong as a studio and community under the leadership of its founder, Carina Moeller.
Listen to “Instinct Tango, with Aníbal Dominguez” for another perspective on how contact improv relates to tango.
Read why Mitra recommends learning tango one-on-one rather than in conventional group classes.
Listen to different versions of the same song, “El Choclo,” to get a sense of the different styles of Carlos Di Sarli and Juan D’Arienzo.
Learn more about Marshall Rosenberg’s framework of nonviolent communication and read a post by the student Mitra mentioned, Andrei Andreev, applying Rosenberg's framework to tango.
Listen to “Flowing together, with Avik Basu” and visit Awaken Tango to read the Inner Experience of Tango report.
Mitra shouted out the following folks as key sources of inspiration and support in her tango journey: Avik Basu, Stefan Fabry, Jaimes Friedgen, Korey Ireland, Dave Lampson, Carina Moeller, Rebecca Shulman, Daniel Trenner, and Brigitta Winkler.
Read a transcript of Mitra's episode here.
...more
36min
March 17, 2025Free-heeling, with Scott Boddye
In summer of 2021, Scott Boddye said goodbye to all but two-suitcases worth of worldly possessions and became a digital nomad. Since then, he's traveled on 4 continents and counting, learned to dance in heels, and created a social media platform for tango dancers that he hopes to launch any day now.
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: "Loca" composed by Manuel Jovés, arranged and recorded by Tango Bardo | Image Credit: Kappu Chino
Show Notes
Check out Scott's website to learn more about him, then visit the website for Mundo Tango.
Learn more about Daniela Borgialli, Scott's first tango teacher, then read an article about the Tango Club at Arizona State University - which is still going strong almost 20 years after Scott studied there!
For a deeper dive on gender norms and tango, check out any or all of the following HoT episodes: Small movements toward tango for all, with Arno Plass; Embracing to change the world, with Alex Pacheco Castillo; Image, authenticity, and building bridges, with Phi Lee Lam; Reflections of a queer tango trailblazer, with Augusto LaMarshall.
Read a transcript of Scott's episode here.
...more
26min
January 29, 2025Context/o, con/with Matías Mauricio [English + Castellano]
FIRST BILINGUAL EPISODE! / ¡PRIMER EPISODIO BILINGÜE!

After a youthful stint in a rock band, Matías Mauricio turned his artistic inclinations to tango. Today he teaches and writes essays, books, and lyrics, and generally lives and breathes tango in his hometown of Buenos Aires. / Luego de un paso juvenil por una banda de rock, Matías Mauricio volcó sus inclinaciones artísticas al tango. Hoy enseña y escribe ensayos, libros y letras y, en general, vive y respira el tango en su ciudad natal de Buenos Aires.
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: "Capullo de Miel," composed by Javier Arias with lyrics by Matías Mauricio, performed by La Orquesta Típica Misteriosa Buenos Aires with Eliana Sosa | Image Credit: María Aimaretti (Matías is pictured holding a photograph of Enrique Santos Discépolo)
Show Notes/Notas
Learn more about Matías’s work on his website. / Aprende más sobre el trabajo de Matías en su sitio web o leyendo estos artículos.
Read full translations of / lee traducciones completas de "Capullo de Miel" and / y "Mi Noche Triste" courtesy of / gracias al Tango Poetry Project.
Listen to "Instinct Tango, with Aníbal Dominguez" to hear Daniel Melingo's musical interpretation of "En un Bondi Color Humo" / o puedes escuchar el tema directamente aquí y leer el poema aquí.
In the episode Rubén reads this translation of "Tormenta" by Poesía de Gotán. I also recommend checking out Jake Spatz's translation with additional historical context. / En castellano, Tangos al bardo ofrece un buen resumen del contexto histórico de "Tormenta."
Read more about the compadrito. / Lee una definición de "compadrito."
Meredith Klein leads many tango-related projects, among them / guia muchos proyectos relacionados con el tango, entre ellos Philadelphia Argentine Tango School and / y Bochinche Records. Read more about Meredith (in English) and watch her dance / o lee un artículo sobre ella en castellano.
Here are the contemporary tango artists Matías mentioned in his interview (with links) / Aquí van les artistas del tango contemporáneo que mencionó Matías durante su entrevista (con enlaces): Luis Alposta; Roberto Selles; Orquesta Típica Pichuco; La Juan D’Arienzo; Los Reyes del Compas; Romantica Milonguera; Fernandez Fierro; Astillero; Rascasuelos; Cuarteto La Púa; Bombay BsAs; Marisa Vasquez; Cintia Trigo; Patricia Malanca; Alfredo Tape Rubín; Jorge "Alorsa" Pandelucos; Victoria Di Raimondo; Carlos Rossi; Cucuza Castiello; Walter "El Chino" Laborde; Sandra Luna; Lidia Borda; Black Rodríguez Méndez; Eliana Sosa.
Read a transcript of Matías's episode here. / Lee la transcripción del episodio de Matías aquí.
...more
52min
October 30, 2024Our mentors, ourselves, with Aja Fenn
Aja Fenn on the value of committing to our teachers, the significance of the yin-yang symbol to tango, how performance culture has evolved since she started, her philosophy on social dancing, and what's inspiring her 24 years into her tango journey.
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: "Duo de Amor" written by Astor Piazzolla, performed by Tango Bardo | Image Credit: Maurice Kaplan
Show Notes
Learn more about Aja's current activities through Fabrica Tango's website or by perusing her YouTube channel, then watch Aja perform with Fabrica co-founder Masha Abapolnikova (in Philly, as mentioned in the episode).
See the trailer of the film that inspired Aja to try tango, The Tango Lesson.
See what Aja's first maestro, Matías Facio, is up to these days, then learn more about legendary milonguero Tete Rusconi and Aja's first practice partner, Mitra Martin.
Learn more about Sharna Fabiano's current work exploring the relationship of lead and follow, then watch clips from TangoMujer performances and a performance where Sharna and Aja switch roles.
Nerd out about the origin of the yin yang.
Watch Brigitta Winkler perform or visit her website, then watch a performance by Nancy Lavoie.
Nerd out about tango nuevo.
Read a transcript of Aja's episode here.
...more
36min
August 10, 2024Tango women, with Camila Arriva
Singer. Producer. DJ. Argentine woman on a mission. Camila Arriva is working in multiple ways to bring women's voices to modern tango. (And yes, she also dances.)
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: "Cantando" by Mercedes Simone; short clips of "Soñando," by Paquita Bernardo with lyrics by Eugenio Cárdenas, and “Ni una Menos” by Verónica Bellini, all performed by Camila Arriva Grupo as part of their MUJERES project | Image Credit: Facu Suárez
Show Notes
To learn more about Camila and MUJERES, visit her website at http://camilaarriva.com.
Listen to a 2018 BBC audio documentary about the feminist revolution in Buenos Aires, read an article about the feminist tango movement, then check out 2 groups Camila mentioned in her interview, Tango Hembra and Movimiento Feminista de Tango.
Listen to Michael Lavocah's episode or visit his website to learn more about tango's Golden Age. Bonus: follow "Volver," the TV channel Camila watched as a child, on social media!
Learn more about Paquita Bernardo and some of the “cancionistas” that inspire Camila (including one who didn’t make it into the episode): Tita Morello, Azucena Maizani, Mercedes Simone, and Nina Miranda.
Hear an NPR podcast on why cumbia is the musical backbone of Latin America, then listen to a playlist of Argentine Cumbia.
Listen to the version of "Ni una Menos" by China Cruel, the band of songwriter Verónica Bellini, then watch a video of Gaby Mataloni and Rocío Lequio dancing to Camila's version.
Read a transcript of Camila's episode here.
...more
26min
June 22, 2024The ear, the heart, and the feet, with Michael Lavocah
"Listen with your bodies, listen with your feet, listen with your heart. Listen with every cell of your body. Listen with your spirit." ~Tango Stories: Musical Secrets
Michael Lavocah danced tango for 20 years before writing his first book. He hasn't stopped since...
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Adiós, Pueblo,” written by Agustín Bardi and performed by Orquesta Típica Ricardo Tanturi, courtesy of Crackling Tunes; and "Tierrita," also written by Agustín Bardi with lyrics by Jesús Fernández Blanco and performed by Alfredo Gobbi y su Orquesta Típica with Héctor Maciel | Image Credit: Veronika Korchak
Show Notes
Check out Michael’s 7 books, starting with Tango Stories: Musical Secrets, then moving on to his Tango Masters series, which to date includes Aníbal Troilo, Osvaldo Pugliese, Carlos di Sarli, Juan D’Arienzo, Francisco Canaro, and Osvaldo Fresedo.
Watch Christine Denniston, Michael's first teacher, talk about her experience with tango.
Learn more about Julio de Caro (the musician who inspired what Michael refers to as the DeCarean school for making complex music), Pedro Laurenz, Pedro Maffia, and Alfredo Gobbi. Then watch Cecilia Berra and Horacio Godoy perform to "Tierrita," the Gobbi tango you hear a clip of in the episode.
Learn more about the singers Michael mentions: Rosita Quiroga, Azucena Maizani, Libertad Lamarque, and Ada Falcón.
Listen to Tango by Year.
Read more about lunfardo, "the secret language of the Tango Rioplatense."
Listen to Humans of Tango episode 6, "Disappearing so tango can talk, with Juan Cantone."
Read a brief musing on cadencia from New-York-based dancer and teacher Ney Melo.
Watch an interview (en español) with "El Gallego" Manolo, from whom Michael learned the figure that digested for 9 months before appearing in his body.
Read a transcript of Michael's episode here.
...more
38min
May 04, 2024Flowing together, with Avik Basu
What does environmental psychology have to do with tango? Quite a lot, it turns out. Tango DJ, teacher, organizer, and social dancer Avik Basu lays it out for us.
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Sin Palabras” by Mariano Mores, with lyrics by Enrique Santos Discépolo and performed by Aníbal Troilo y Su Orquesta Típica with Alberto Marino | Image Credit: Steven Thull
Show Notes
Learn more about Avik's work and play in tango and environmental psychology, then learn more about the Inner Experience of Tango survey. (Bonus: listen to Avik on Joe's Tango Podcast!)
Read about Avik's first teachers, Yelena Sinelnikova and Ramu Pyreddy, and the college club in Ann Arbor where Avik started dancing.
Learn more about Mihaly Csikszentmihaly's theory of flow via video or text, then read Charles Walker's chapter on social flow.
Avik mentioned learning from the embraces of Alex Krebs, Cacho Dante, and Gustavo Naveira. Read some musings from Cacho Dante (RIP), then check out Gustavo's and Alex's respective websites.
Read a transcript of Avik's episode here.
...more
28min
February 02, 2024Tango (r)evolution, with Sol Orozco
"When I was twenty, this was NOT possible..."

A lot has changed in the 25+ years since Sol Orozco started dancing tango in Buenos Aires. Luckily, Sol is a big believer in change - in her own life and in the world around her.
Producer/Host: Liz Sabatiuk | Music: “Ilusión de Mi Vida” by Feliciano Brunelli, arranged and recorded by Asato-Pais Duo | Image Credit: Oscar Chang Photography
Show Notes
The music in Sol's episode is a contemporary interpretation by Asato Pais Duo of "Ilusión de Mi Vida." (Read Spanish? Here's some history about the song.) Asato Pais were among the artists gracing the Garufa TangoFest stage. Learn more about them on their website, where you can also find their social channels, including the adorable and incredibly informative music education videos they post on YouTube!
Watch one of my favorite videos of Sol performing (with Juan), then watch a video by Heyni Solera featuring Sol.
Listen to Humans of Tango episodes featuring Juan Cantone and Heyni Solera.
If you have any doubts about why Sol’s family might think of the U.S. as the “big bad monster,” here's some useful background.
Read about the history of knives in tango (and/or watch a video by the same author).
Follow Garufa TangoFest on Facebook or Instagram to stay tuned for August 2024! (Bonus: Watch Juan and his current partner, Virginia Cutillo, perform at the 2023 edition.)
Want to study with Sol? You can follow and contact her through Facebook and Instagram.
Read a transcript of Sol's episode here.
...more
33min

FAQs about Humans of Tango:

How many episodes does Humans of Tango have?

The podcast currently has 28 episodes available.

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